Flames and smoke rise from oil wells set ablaze by Islamic State militants before they fled the oil-producing region of Qayyara, Iraq, 2016. Alaa Al-Marjani/Reuters Current Analysis The Oil for Security Myth and Middle East Insecurity Since the end of World War II, US policy toward the Middle East has ostensibly been dedicated to protecting the free flow of hydrocarbons to sustain the global economy. In reality, America’s pursuit of energy security has increased insecurity in the region through conflict, militarization and suppor Jacob Mundy • 19 min read
An oil tanker is being loaded at Saudi Aramco's Ras Tanura oil refinery and oil terminal in Saudi Arabia Current Analysis Saudi Arabia’s Weaponization of Oil Abundance Saudi Arabia and Russia cooperated for years to maintain the value of their chief export—oil. This month, that collusion collapsed into a price war with both countries unexpectedly boosting production. In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic and China's decreasing oil demands, fears of an uncertain Gregory Brew • 11 min read
MER Article Abadan In fall 1978, Abadan’s oil refinery workers played a decisive role in the Iranian Revolution by joining the national mass strikes. Just two years later, Abadan and the adjoining port city of Khorramshahr were shelled by the invading Iraqi army and effectively destroyed during the Iran–Iraq war (1980 Rasmus Christian Elling, Kaveh Ehsani • 10 min read
MER Article The Arab World’s Non-Linear Electricity Transitions For many, especially in the United States, the Arab world is closely associated with fossil fuels. But over the past several years, a raft of news articles, opinion pieces and analyses have hailed the advent of renewable energy—especially solar power—in Arab countries. Many such pieces open with ima Zachary Cuyler • 19 min read
Current Analysis Notes on Low Oil Prices and Their Implications After about three years of hovering around $110 per barrel, with highs of $125 and lows of $90, oil prices began a precipitous decline in the summer of 2014, reaching a low of $48 per barrel in mid-August 2015 before plummeting to just under $30 per barrel five months later. While investors are no d Miriam R. Lowi • 5 min read
Current Analysis Breaking Even, Breaking Down or Going for Broke? As of mid-May 2015, crude oil prices had fallen to the lowest level in recent years, under $60 a barrel for US domestic benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) and about $66 a barrel for the international Brent benchmark [http://www.oil-price.net/]. These market prices are compared to several types Karen Pfeifer • 6 min read
Current Analysis Fuel Subsidy Policy and Popular Mobilization in Syria On February 17, Syrian Minister of Oil Muhammad al-Lahham warned Parliament that the price of fuel would have to increase [http://www.sana.sy/%D9%85%D8%AC%D9%84%D8%B3-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%B9%D8%A8-%D9%8A%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%85%D8%B9-%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%AC%D9%88%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D9%88%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9 Zachary Cuyler • 5 min read
Current Analysis Why Isn't the "Swing Producer" Swinging? The price of oil is hovering around $50 per barrel of West Texas Intermediate crude, and $60 per barrel of Brent crude, the lowest levels since the global economic downturn [http://www.merip.org/mer/mer252] of 2008-2009. Until the end of February, when they rebounded slightly, oil prices had been dr Karen Pfeifer • 3 min read
Current Analysis McJihad, the Film The themes of Adam Curtis’ new documentary Bitter Lake [http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p02gyz6b/adam-curtis-bitter-lake] should be well known to those familiar with his body of work: power, techno-politics, science, managerialism and the media. The film uses the contemporary history of Afghani Jacob Mundy • 13 min read
Current Analysis MER 271: Fuel and Water: The Coming Crises For immediate release July 18, 2014 Middle East Report 271 Summer 2014 FUEL AND WATER: THE COMING CRISES • 2 min read
MER Article Matthew Huber, Lifeblood Matthew Huber, Lifeblood: Oil, Freedom and the Forces of Capital (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2013). “The American way of life” -- is there another phrase that sounds so innocuous yet is so fraught? To most Americans, and admirers of the United States abroad, the four words evoke na Chris Toensing • 4 min read
MER Article "Energy Security" Over the last few decades, the phrase “energy security” has spread like an oil spot from specialized literature outward into the standard lexicon of reporters and politicians. Like “security” itself, it is a term whose meaning seems transparent but resists precise definition, in part because the mea Toby Jones • 10 min read
